Birmingham City youngster Jude Bellingham was quick to pay tribute to his boyhood club on social media today after the 17-year-old made what was his final appearance for the club last night in his side's 3-1 home defeat to Derby County.
Bellingham of course is now set to depart for pastures new in Germany with Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund after the Signal Iduna Park outfit completed a £25 million move for the coveted youngster, thus making the midfielder the world's most expensive 17-year-old.
Last night's farewell match at St. Andrew's was sure to have been an emotional occasion for the talented Blues academy product, as he slumped to turf at the full time whistle following what was a below par home performance for the Midlands club.
And the teenager was quick to take to
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During his time with the club, Bellingham notched up an impressive 44 appearances for the Blues, registering four goals and three assists in the process, thus attracting admiring glances from major clubs across Europe.
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The 17-year-old follows in the footsteps of fellow Englishman Jadon Sancho, who has shined on several occasions for Dortmund since making the move to Germany from Manchester City.
The Verdict
It wasn't the way that Bellingham wanted to end his spell with the club that he has called home since the age of seven - but the teenager can certainly leave the Midlands outfit with his head held high.
Displaying a level of maturity of a player far beyond his youthful years, the talented midfielder seems ready made for the talent production line that Borussia Dortmund possesses, with the opportunity to play alongside experienced professionals such as Marco Reus and Mats Hummels sure to stand the youngster in good stead.
As for Birmingham, the club will certainly send Bellingham on his way with their well wishes, with the fee received for their academy product sure to come in handy for the club as they look to restructure their squad this summer.